Term 3 Week 4 Newsletter
Leadership Insights
The Power of Words
Returning to school in Week 3, I was struck by how much I had missed the sound of school. Yes—the sound of school! It has a unique rhythm, a melody all its own, one that can echo in our hearts for a lifetime.
What I missed most were the words. The ones that drift through the yard, bounce along the corridors, and fill the classrooms. Wherever people go, words follow. Some are soft, kind, and gentle. Others are bold, loud, or brash. But all of them carry power—the power to heal, to hurt, to inspire, and to transform lives.
Our words reflect what’s on our hearts and minds. When we understand that each of us holds the power to either build up or break down with just a sentence, we begin to see how vital it is to choose our words wisely—especially in moments of stress or conflict.
This week in assembly, I shared a few Bible verses to remind us all of this truth, and to encourage every one of us to speak life into each other’s lives. The beauty of uplifting words is that they don’t just bless the listener—they bless the speaker too. Why? Because when we speak life, we hear it too. When we offer a compliment, we raise ourselves as well.
Proverbs 18:21
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.”
Colossians 4:6
“Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”
These are just two of many scriptures that highlight the incredible impact of our words—and our ability to use them for good.
At the moment, our school is alive with even more sounds than usual—building projects, refurbishments, and landscaping. While these noises signal exciting change and renewal, there’s an even greater sound I hope continues to echo through our school: the sound of respect, integrity, and joy.
Because with our words, we can heal.
We can uplift.
And yes—we absolutely can change the world.
Mrs Jane Talamaivao
Principal
Prescott News
Sketch Group
On August 5, Years 7–11 participated in Living Our College Values: Understanding Personal Responsibility Policy (PRP) and CASCADE, a hands-on workshop led by Mr Hamilton and Mrs Talamaivao, with graphic recording by Matt Magain.
Students explored Prescott College’s three pillars—Joy, Integrity, and Respect—sharing real-life examples of how they live these values. Joy was seen as finding purpose, passion, and pleasure in learning and relationships; Respect as valuing self and others through courtesy and meeting expectations; and Integrity as doing the right thing, even when no one is watching.
The Personal Responsibility framework’s four levels were unpacked, reinforcing that students control their own actions and that policies support relationship-building and conflict resolution. CASCADE, the College’s communication commitment, was discussed through scenarios, highlighting the power of shared language and collective action in fostering a safe, Christ-centred community.
Matt Magain is working with the College to create a visual library of our values and policies, to feature in posters and the upcoming website. He also ran a drawing bootcamp for teachers, building skills to use simple visuals to enhance student understanding.
Mr Ian Hamilton
Deputy Principal
Additional comments from Mrs Broadwood:
During the PD session:
Matt introduced Visual Thinking strategies to help teachers present information in a clear and accessible visual format.
A key message was “Ideas, not Art”—highlighting that effective visual communication is about conveying concepts simply, not artistic skill.
Teachers used a visual proforma to:
Practice drawing basic images and figures to represent ideas.
Map out lesson steps.
Show learning goals.
The hands-on approach demonstrated how visuals can scaffold learning and make thinking visible for all students.
After the session:
Teachers felt empowered and encouraged by the inclusive, meaningful ways Visual Thinking can enhance communication and engagement.
Visual Thinking was recognised as a practical tool to support diverse learners and promote deeper understanding.
Mrs Keturah Broadwood
SSO/Bus Coordinator
Community Service
A Community Service Adventure
As a part of the Spiritualities, Religion, and Meaning course in Year 11, students are
challenged to engage in a service activity.
Here is Louie Harradine’s story:
My service was to mow the lawns of my fellow
neighbours. The owner of one house was Trevor. His
lawn was one of the worst I’ve ever seen. It took me three
hours to mow because of the amount of thick grass in the
yard. The grass was tangled and knotted, making it so
hard to cut through that I needed a short break just to
keep going. But once I finished, it looked good as new.
Trevor couldn’t believe that his lawn was fully
rejuvenated. He said, “Do you want any money?” I said,
“Nah.” He thanked me a bunch of times, but I said, “It’s all
good. Have a great day.”
It’s honestly refreshing to help out instead of ignoring help. That’s what it’s
about—helping people. I think I’m going to be doing more service for people because of
how it made me feel, to know it made their day a bit easier.
Native Foods Creations
Year 10 students have started an exciting new topic on Australian native cuisine. They've been enjoying a unique tasting experience with ingredients from Creative Native Foods. So far, they've sampled a variety of distinctive flavors, including:
Lemon Myrtle
Rivermint
Pepperleaf
Rosella
Wattle seed
Bush Tomato
Old Man Salt Bush
Lemon Aspen
This culinary adventure has been a real test for their taste buds, as some of these ingredients have a strong, tangy aftertaste. A positive takeaway from this experience is learning that many of these native ingredients, such as the ones they've tried, are also packed with antioxidants and have a very high vitamin C content.
Mrs Roux
Food Technology Teacher
Employment Opportunity
Holiday Program for Young Females
Our Confidently YOU 2-Day School Holiday Course is designed for girls aged 10–17 years to help them build self-confidence, develop life skills, and have fun in a supportive and uplifting environment.
Over two engaging days, participants will take part in activities such as:
Runway & presentation skills
Speech and communication
Dance & acting workshops
Skincare and makeup tips
Vision board creation
Manicure session
And more confidence-building activities
Details:
Wednesday 8 & Thursday 9 October 2025
9:30am – 4:00pm
Next Generation Gym, North Adelaide
$250 (Early Bird Special – Save $50 if enrolled by 31 August 2025)
Chaplain's Corner
"We have power to conquer anything through putting our faith in the One who has control over everything."
Hey Prescott family
I hope you are doing well during this period of the year. This year has definitely flown by and we are already into the second half of the year.
I'm a big sports fan and it's getting to the serious part of the season for all of the teams. I know for my teams, the Sydney Swans and the Parramatta Eels, our seasons are pretty much over as we will not be playing the finals series in their respective leagues. Sometimes when our time is already lost for season, we've lost interest and we concede that there is no point of watching anymore.
I was reading in the book of 1st John and in chapter five, it talks about the idea that we as children of God can conquer the world's ways. That we have a conquering power that brings the world's ways to its knees. That power is called our faith. John continues to say that a person who wins out over the world's ways is the one who believes Jesus is the Son of God. We are always going to fall short. We might even be written off for the mistakes that we make. But God says "We have power to conquer anything through putting our faith in the One who has control over everything."
It's going to be a pretty quiet period of time for me with my teams both bowing out at the end of the regular season. But, I know that whatever challenges that I may face and any struggles that I will deal with throughout the rest of this year, that I have power to overcome anything through my faith in God. I hope that this serves as an encouragement for you all. As always, we, chaplains, are always here to support you whether it is through prayer or even through a conversation. Please let us know how we can help.
Pr Mal Naseli
Chaplain
Key Dates to Note
PPN Open Day
Pupil Free Day
Student Services and Wellbeing
Join Homework Club – Tuesdays and Thursdays After School!
Homework Club is a great opportunity for students to stay on top of their studies in a
supportive and focused environment. Running every Tuesday and Thursday from 3:30 to 4:30
PM, in the Library, the club offers a quiet space with access to teachers and resources to help
with assignments, revision, and time management. It’s also a great chance to build good study
habits and reduce stress by getting homework done early in the week. All students are
welcome—just let Mrs Nelson (Tuesday) or Mr Joseph (Thursday) know you are attending.
Uniform Shop
Uniform Matters: Dress the Part Every Day
The Uniform Shop is open each Wednesday from 12:30pm - 4:00pm.
Please contact Darlene Jaekel on 0490 880 023 if you'd like to arrange payment over the phone.
Darlene Jaekel
Uniform Shop Coordinator